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Christine Monany, from an association representing wine-growers in Burgundy, said a 'small decline in quantity can be expected due to the heat.'

'When the vine lacks water, this limits how long it can grow,' she said.

Much-needed weekend rain 'allowed the vines to get going again but the grapes are still small. They will grow a little bit but they will not reach a normal size,' said Monany.

Better wine - but less of it: Even though the amount of wine produced this year may be less, the quality is expecting to be affected positively by the drought

While the heatwave is expected to have an impact on the quantity produced, the quality is still expected to be high.

Hertaut said the heat has produced 'very healthy' vines, as it has dried up any hint of dampness, which can lead to fungus diseases impacting the grapes.

Laurent de Bosredon, owner of Château Bélingardvineyard in Bergerac, near Bordeaux in south-west France has a more positive outlook for 2015.

Echoing Ms Hertaut he said: 'We had a drought for 45 days which has been good in terms of eliminating diseases and pests on the vines, but then in the past week we had rain of about 40-45mm per square metre so it is going the right way.'

Less than Beau: The Beaujolais region is one of the worst affected by the hot weather, with the quantity of wine produced possibly dropping by as much as a third, according to experts

He added: 'The forecast is looking the right way so I have a lot of confidence in this year's crop.

'It is too early to say if this year's vintage will be more expensive, it depends on the volume and quality which the weather in the coming weeks will determine.'

France has just sweltered through its third-hottest July since 1900 with less than half the amount of rain than usual, according to French meteorologists.

'In terms of the dryness on the ground, the situation remains tense over a large part of the country,' said Francois Vinit from Meteo France, the national weather forecaster.

The drought has French food production, with cabbage and corn crops expected to be down by as much as 50 per cent, according to local producers.